boyer



Patented Apr. 25, I899.

P. BUYER. FLASH LIGHTING APPARATUS.

(Application filod my 14, 189B.)

2 Shaets-Sheot I.

(No Model.)

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Np. 623,874. Patented Apr. 25, I899.

P. BUYER. FLASH LIGHTING APPARATUS.

(Lpplication filed my 14, 1898.) (N0 IM L) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Winessew- Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL BOYER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

FLASH-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,874, dated-April 25, 1899.

Application filed May 14, 1898. Serial No. 680,693. (No model.)

1.0 all 111700771, if; may concern;

llc it known that l, PAUL BOYER, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of 35 Boulevard des Capuciues, Paris, France, have invented a new and useful 1m provement in l lash-Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates'to an improved apparatus for obtaining flash-lighting automatically, more especially for use in taking'instantancous photographs of subjects requiring artificial illumination. By means of this lamp I can produce automatically a number of ilash-lightings in rapid succession, if desired, by merely operating a distant controlling device. It can thus be employed not only as the usual. flash-lighting lamps in order to obtain by intervals snapshots of the same or various objects, but also to take in a very short period of time a large number of Snap-shots or instantaneous exposures of the same object, as it is required when reproducing animated sceneries or views. My lamp allows then the use of discontinuous or intermittent lighting by means of flashes for taking negatives in rapid succession, so that it becomes useless to shut and open a shutter for taking each negative or at each exposure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the lamp. Fig. 2 is a broken plan showing the parts at various levels.

According to myinvention I providean upper plate A, of wood, ebonite, or the likenonconducting material, adapted to revolve by clockwork O on a lower plate D, made of a like material. On the lower plate, which is provided with insulating-supports, the clockwork mechanism is mountedfor example, a spring contained in a cylinder, which may be conveniently wound up by a key 6 from the under side of the plate. To the revolving part C on the lower plate vertical screwthreaded rods 0 are secured, which can fitinto corresponding holes formed in the upper plate, so that the upper plate may be passed onto the rods and firmly clamped to the aforesaid revolving lower part and both rotated together, the lower plate itself remaining stationary. The lower plate is also provided with spring-contacts 11, arranged in two concentric arcs of circles, and an electromagnet or coil F, adapted to operate a pawl or catch lever f, which is preferably of soft iron, against the action of a spring f the said con tacts being connected with any suitable source of electricity. The said connection in the example represented is supposed to be made through the screw-posts H. The coil F is connected through the screw-posts F F and conducting-wires U with the same or any other source of electricity, as a battery 13, in the circuit of which is a contact key or device of any suitable kind, represented as a commutator K 7.2. The upper plate has spring catches or clips a" on its top side, arranged, for example, alternately in two concentric circles, between pairs of which are fitted cups or receivers 13, containing magnesium or the like material. The said receivers are made of any suitable non-conductive and non-inflam mable material and are provided at their lower portion with a thin copper wire J or like readily-fusible material or material capable of bein g rendered incandescent, which is connected to contacts b on each side, so as to form contact with the aforesaid catches or clips 7." An inner and an outerset or series of projections or stops G G are disposed alternately in concentric circles on the under side of the upper plate, so that the pawl or catch f" on the lower plate will come against a stop of one set when it is attracted by the magnet F and against a stop of the other set when retained by the spring f, the said pawl and stops thus constituting an intermittentstop mechanism. The clips 2" 2' holding the receivers, pass to the under side of the upper plate, so as to be in a position to form contact by I I with the spring-contacts H on the lower plate. The contacts I I are arranged, as shown in Fig. 2, in two concentric circles of different radii corresponding with the radii of the two springcontacts H. The two series of contacts I 1 are thus caused to rub against the springs H during the rotation of the plate A.

To produce a flash-light, a current of olec-' tricity is passed through the electromagnet F, so as to withdraw the pawl from a stop of one set. The upper plate being released is then caused to revolve by the clockwork untila stop of the other set comes in contact with the pawl in its new position. The electric current is then cut off, so that the pawl returns to its original position under the influence of the spring,and the upper plate being released again commences to revolve until the next stop on the first set or series comes in contact with the pawl. The clips 11 2' on the upper plate will then form contact with the spring-contacts II on the lower plate, and a circuit being completed the current of electricity passing through will fuse the copper wire in the receiver andignite the magnesium or the like contained therein. Thus by manipulating a current of electricity flash-lights can be readily obtained in quick succession. The receivers oreups for containingthe magnesium or the like can be readily removed after use and freshly-prepared ones inserted, so that the lash-lights may be continued with out interruption for any length of time.

The com mutator K 711, hereinbefore referred to, consists of a circular insulating-plate K, in which are a number of metal nodules 92, connected by the wire Z, having several branches Z, and the posts l "with one pole of the battery, the other pole of which is connected by the wire F with the metallic crank it of the commutator, which on being turned by hand is caused to close and open the circuit every time it passes one of the nodules n. I prefer this commutator to a simple makeand-break contact-key, as it permits a more rapid interruption of the circuit and a quicker and more regular flashing of the light.

My invention is not limited to the precise details of construction, which may be varied according to each particular case, as may be found desirable. For instance, the working of the ratchet mechanism controlling the movement of the plate can be effected from a distant point by operating an electrical contact or by rotating the lever of a key, such as K, Fig. 2. Said control from a distant point could be obtained mechanically, pneumatically, or otherwise instead of electrically.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In allash-lighting apparatus the combination of a movable plate, aseries of cups or receivers, an actuating mechanism for working the plate, an intermittent stop mechanism to control the working of the actuating mechanism, means for operating from a distant point the said stop mechanism,and means for automatically lighting the charge of a cup whenever the stop mechanism allows the plate to move the distance corresponding to the dis tanee between two successive cups, substantially as set forth.

2. In a magnesium or the like flash-lighting apparatus the combination of: a circular rotating plate, a series of cups for the magnesium or the like provided on said plate, a clockwork for rotating the plate, an intermittent stop mechanism for controlling the working of the clockwork, means for act-nating from a distant point the said stop mechanism, and means for automatically lighting the charge of a cup whenever the stop mechanism allows the plate to rotate the distance corresponding to the distance between two successive cups, substantially as set forth.

3. In a magnesium or the like flash-lighting apparatus the combination of: a movable plate, a series of cups for the magnesium or the like provided on the plate, a pair of metallic clips maintaining each cup on the plate, a working mechanism for the plate, an intermittent stop mechanism for controlling the working mechanism, means for actuating from a distant point the said stop mechanism, a fusible wire passing through the contents of each cup both ends of said wire being in contact with the corresponding pair of metallic clips, and contact plates or blades, electrically connected at intervals with the ends of a pair of clips in order to automatically ignite the contents of a cup whenever the stop mechanism has allowed the plate to move the distance corresponding to the distance between two successive cups, substantially as set forth.

l. In amagnesium or the like flash-light the combination of: a movable plate, a series of cups provided on said plate, a working mechanism for the plate, an intermittent stop mechanism for controlling the operation of the working mechanism, an electromagnet for actuating the stop mechanism, means for exciting the electromagnet from a distant point, and means for automaticallyigniting the con- I tents of a cup whenever the stop mechanism has allowed the plate to move the distance cor responding to the distance between two successive cups, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 30th day of April, 1898.

PAUL IZOYER.

Witnesses:

Enwann I. MAcLnAN, Ancinn Faun. 

